Cruising Port Stephens

After an uneventful, if a little rolly, sail from Broken Bay, we arrived in Port Stephens on the afternoon of the 2nd of July. We picked up a mooring in Shoal Bay and watched the sun go down. Hot showers, dinner, bed!

Nelson Bay

The following morning we went around and picked up a mooring in Nelson Bay. A beautiful sunny day! After having a look around the town and marina, we found a mechanic to come out to the boat to look at our generator. We spent the afternoon waiting for him. The weather was beautiful so, after lying about on the cabin top reading, I went for a swim. Water was not much cooler than air temp. Both around 19c.

We walked from Nelson Bay to Zenith Beach for a look. Then back around the marina and saw a little penguin chasing fish around the breakwater rocks.

We dropped our computer off to be fixed and could not pick it up until Monday morning. The following three nights were spent in several different anchorages. Firstly moored in Fame Cove, we went for a late afternoon putter up the creek in the dinghy.

The creek is a marine sanctuary so we couldn’t put our crab pot in there, so we put it out near where we were moored. The next day we discovered we had no luck catching crabs but had caught an octopus…. Back to the boat to make pickled octopus. Check out our Gourmet from the Galley blog for the recipe.

We went and spent a night in the next bay called North Arm Cove. The wind had picked up but this spot was nicely sheltered from the strong westerly. No luck fishing …again! The last night we went back to Shoal Bay and walked to Nelson to check out the Sunday markets, enjoyed a drink at the pub and then went back to prepare the boat for the morning’s departure. We sailed out to Broughton Island to try some fishing. Dwayne caught and cooked fish for dinner.

The next day we started our overnight sail to Coffs Harbour. We had a close encounter with a three whales. They got so close to our boat and at least one went right under us! A little thrilling 🙂

After an eventful night sail we caught a huge marlin. But that’s another story…. read here – The Marlin

Travel Notes (2014)

Shoal Bay – we picked up a mooring. Pub on shore.

Nelson Bay – picked up a visitor mooring. Town close by. Supermarket etc… easy to buy what you need.

Fame Cove – picked up a mooring. They are only a few moorings and we were lucky someone was just leaving when we arrived. Nice protected little spot.

North Arm Cove – We anchored and we were well protected from the 25-30knot blow.

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About Kelly Turpin

Kelly has a Bachelor of Ecotourism and a passion for the natural world. Before her life as a full time traveller, Kelly was a personal trainer and has also been a snorkel instructor and guide on the Great Barrier Reef. Kelly has written, and published, environmental and educational children's activity books and is now dabbling at writing a cook book. Kelly raised two sons and helped raise a stepson before she and hubby, ran away to travel around Australia - towing a fishing boat and living in a tent. Two years later Kelly and Dwayne settled back in Adelaide and opened their own home improvements business. They sold up almost everything and sailed out of Adelaide in May of 2014.

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